Words: 1,870
Rated: T
Hey 8D This one-shot is from my 500ThemeChallenge. It's one of my favorites, which is why I decided to upload it as its own one-shot 8D
I hope you like it!
Hetalia is not mine, neither is the song "Into The Dark" (by Death Cab for Cutie)
"What do you mean, "Heaven is full"?! How can Heaven be full?! Isn't it supposed to be the place where everyone is accepted!" An angry , accented voice almost growled. "Besides, I gotta meet somebody up here! Ya' gotta let me in!"
"I appologize, truely. But not only is Heaven full, but so is Hell, and both the waiting rooms. You shall have to leave." The angel replied.
A blonde, half-angel and half-human and not quite either, heard the voices. One was recentley learned and the other came from a life-time of loving it and listening to it. He poked his head out, a curl leading his gaze. And sure enough, there was the voice he had loved before...
Red eyes, white hair, pale skin, teeth a bit too sharp, eyes a bit too wild... Matthew Williams's best friend and crush, Gilbert Beilschmidt.
"C'mon, I promised Mattie that I'd meet him up here!" Gilbert begged, "I can't let him down! I can't! Do you know what that would do to him? He trusts me, dude! I can't be so unawesome to leave him alone! You gotta let me in to see Mattie!"
"I appologize, truely. But Heaven is full, and we cannot let you in, and the waiting room is full, so we-"
"G-Gilbert? You can have my spot..." Matthew half-whispered. Gilbert's head swung like an owl's.
"Mattie! There you are! Are you okay? I was so worried! And upset! You just left me! How could you? I can't believe- and you didn't even say goodbye! You just left!" Gilbert bounded over to the blonde, wrapping him in his arms. The eyes inside the waiting room remained fixed on the white floor, walls, or cieling.
"I didn't want to go, Gil... It was a crash... A hit and run... I was killed instantly. But I thought you would wait longer..." Matthew replied, burying his face in his friend's shoulder, his own thin but muscular arms wrapping around the other man.
"Nah. I got caught in a robbery. Killed the bastard, but he got me back." Gilbert shook his head. "I thought you'd be in Heaven by now. Why aren't you?"
"Too many people... They have to wait until angels are reborn again before they can let anybody else in." Matthew pulled his head back, his own blue-violet eyes searching Gilbert's.
"Shame. You'd make a damn good angel." Matthew cracked a smile, the first since he'd died. Which had been about three months prior.
"You know..." The angel who had been speaking to Gilbert and watching the pair piped up again. He wore a skirt, quite short for an angel, and had emerald green eyes. His gown was more like a toga, and he carried a stick with a star on it. His hair was messy, and when he turned Matthew caught what looked like a 6-string guitar on his left shoulder. He bore numerous scars that looked like he'd been cut by a sword and shot by pistols. Matthew thought he saw a red cape billowing behind him and a black hat atop his head. Gilbert only saw how freaking HUGE his eyebrows were. "Stop gawking, git, I'm trying to tell you something." And he spoke with a British accent! Matthew flicked the albino, who grimaced and rubbed his now-sore cheek.
"Anyway, as I was starting, there is a place where you two can go... It'll be a difficult road and rather... Unique... But if you can do it, you can stay there as long as you like and always be able to return. And you can remain together." Matthew flushed at his words, bowing his head. Gilbert simply smiled. "You must go through that gate," the British angel said, gesturing to a rose-thorn gate with broken wood panels that led into darkness, "And not stop singing a song until you see the light. There is a song that will take you there at the end of the song, but... I do not know if you know the song or not." Matthew looked at Gilbert, and took thought of what had happened.
"Ah, I believe I do... When may we leave?" He asked politely.
"Good lad, good lad! You can leave when you want. Just... Do not tell anybody of this place until you get there, aye? If you cannot get there and prove it, it will not exist to them."
"Have you been there then?" Gilbert demanded.
"Of course! In fact, my husband is there right now. I have two hours left of my shift before I can return home."
"Gilbert, let's go... I know the song... Alfred loved it..." Matthew tugged gently on Gilbert's black, long-sleeved shirt. Gilbert blinked at Matthew. Alfred had been killed four years before by a rabid wolf, protecting his husband Arthur who had already been attacked. Arthur was lost to rabies not long after, and joined Alfred in death after two or three days.
"Okay... If you're sure Birdie..." Gilbert didn't hesitate, but did wonder.
"It's okay Gil, you know the song too. I used to sing it to you when you had trouble falling asleep after you drank. Or after you broke up with Eliza again. Or when you found out she and Roderich were married. And when you found out they died." Matthew ruffled his friend's hair. Matthew was just a bit shorter than Gilbert, and so could reach his hair easily.
Elizabeta, a Hungarian woman who had loved to dress Matthew up as a woman as well, had been mauled by a bear. Her ex-husband/husband again Roderich had his home broken into about a month and a half later, and was beaten to death beneath his piano. The old insturment had been set on fire with Elizabeta's skillet on top of it. The heat had been so intense that both objects had gone up in smoke, with no hint that they'd ever been there left over.
"Then let's go Mattie. I trust you. You'll get us through this." Gilbert nodded, knowing Matthew wouldn't let him down.
"Thank you Arthur..." Matthew blushed, saying farewell to his brother's husband.
"See you soon, lad." Arthur, or Britannia Angel as was his job name, wave in reply and went back to his job.
Together, Gilbert and Matthew stepped into the darkness.
"Love of mine, someday we will die. And I'll be close behind. To follow you, into the dark." Matthew began singing. A memory tickled in Gilbert's memory of this song. "No blinding light, or tunnels to gates of white, just our hands clasped so tight... Waiting for, the hint of a spark."
"If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied; Illuminate the "no"s on their 'Vacancy' signs. If there's no one beside you, when your soul embarks... Then I'll follow you into the dark." Gilbert knew this song. Matthew had sung it to him so many times, or just hummed it, or sang it because it calmed him... Gilbert knew it by heart, just as Matthew did.
"In Catholic school, as vicious as Roman Rule, I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black. And I held my tongue as she told me, "Son, fear is the heart of love." So I never went back." Matthew had actually been to a school where a woman had beat his knuckles with ruler. He had come home with bloody knuckles and bruises all over his hands. He'd never gone back.
The patch seemed to get darker. Which shouldn't have been possible, considering they couldn't even see their hands directly in front of their faces. When a howl sounded out to their right, Matthew clutched Gilbert's hand tighter. Gilbert returned the squeeze reassuringly.
"If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied; Illuminate the "no"s on their 'Vacancy signs. If there's no one beside you, when you're soul embarks... Then I'll follow you into the dark. You and me have seen everything to see. From Bangkok to Calgary... And the soles of your shoes are all worn down." They'd never actually left the post-apocalyptic town where they'd been born. But they'd always discussed what the world had been like and what it must have been like to live in it. Gilbert had wanted to go to Bangkok because it sounded like bang cock, and he wanted to laugh about it in front of the people and call them queers even though he was bi. Matthew just though Calgary had seemed like an interesting name, and rolled his eyes at Gilbert for his perverted reasoning. They'd always argued so much, but the best of friends, and had thrown too many shoes at each other to count. Those fights had always made them laugh.
"The time for sleep is now, but it's nothing to cry about 'cause we'll hold each other soon, in the blackest of rooms..." The notes carried, two tenors mingling perfectly. It seemed to get a bit lighter in front of them, a light shining from a dim moon in the sky. They couldn't see each other yet, but they both gripped in excitment. They were almost there!
"If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied. Illuminate the "no"s on their 'Vacancy' signs... If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark. And I'll follow you into the dark."
In front of them was a village. It was night time in the village, but there were many people there. Alfred, Matthew was delighted to see, Roderich and Elizabeta... Even Francis, Ivan, Antonio, Lovino, Ludwig, and Feliciano...! The old crew that Matthew loved so much and Gilbert had called the Allies and the Axis, due to the history of World War II and the irony of the groups, despite the fact that they'd gotten along. The pair were swept into hugs of multiple people. Their hands never seperated though. After a joyous greating, they were shown to a quant little cabin on the edge of the meadow. All of the homes were graciously spaced, and Matthew's and Gilbert's sat near a little stream.
"You didn't dissapoint me Birdie." Gilbert said in happiness, flopping onto the single bed. Their hands still connected, Matthew was dragged onto his friend. "I knew you wouldn't. You're too awesome to dissapoint me."
"Thank you Gilbert." Matthew told him queitly. Gilbert opened his red eyes to gaze at his little blonde friend. For a few minutes, they sat there in silence, just staring at each other.
"No, Matthew... Thank you." The albino finally murmered, leaning his head up and bringing Matthew's head to his so he could kiss the blonde. It was just a sweet, gente first kiss for them. But both knew that they'd never leave the other.
"It's no problem Gilbert... I love you... I'll follow you into the dark." Matthew flushed as they broke apart, his voice a whisper again.
"I love you too Matthew. I'll follow you anywhere, even into the dark." Gilbert replied, holding his Birdie close to him.
If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Also:
Ludwig died by getting run over by a horse. Feliciano died not long after, having slipped and fell and hitting his head in a depression.
Lovino died choking on a tomato, and Antonio drowned in a river after a week.
Francis had an affair with a married woman, who's husband killed him. Ivan was wrongly accused for a murder, and hanged two weeks prior.
Kiku simply said the wrong thing at the wrong time, and was killed. Heracles got run over by a carriage three days before because he fell asleep on a road.
But you know what? They all wound up in that special place together.
Si 83